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For NASA Employees Interested in Participating as an Innovation Ambassador

What is the Innovation Ambassador Program?
Innovation Ambassadors, an element of Innovation Transfusion, is a developmental assignment opportunity for NASA employees to work at an innovative external organization for a period of 3 to 12 months. Participants will focus on improving their technical and business skills while identifying innovations related to Agency needs.
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What is the Innovation Transfusion?
Innovation Transfusion is an Agency-wide project initiated by the Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) to help ensure that NASA benefits from creativity and innovation occurring outside the Agency. The Innovation Transfusion project will create connections between innovative external organizations and NASA through two project elements, Innovation Ambassadors and Innovation Scouts.
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Who is eligible to apply?
Any NASA civil servant of GS level 11-15 in the "Aerospace Technologist" category who has completed Level 2 or the equivalent in the Academy of Program/Project & Engineering (APPEL) Project Management Development Program (PMDP) is eligible.

The "Aerospace Technologist" category includes most NASA engineers, scientists, and project or program managers. If you are unsure about your designation, please contact your Center Human Resource Office.
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How long are the developmental assignments?
Developmental assignment durations can range from 3 to 12 months depending the nature of the assignment. Your home organization management, Center IPP Office and the host organization will work with you to determine the appropriate duration.
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The assignment at an external organization should provide benefits to the employee's current project or program, organization and NASA Center. The focus of the Innovation Transfusion program is to create connections with innovative external organizations that have not typically been involved as NASA partners and so developmental assignments at such organizations will be preferred.

You may have an idea about an external organization where you would like to propose an assignment. You can contact that organization and determine if they would support your proposal. Also, NASA is requesting information from external organizations that would be interested in hosting an Innovation Ambassador. A list of those organizations will be available from your Center IPP Office after June 27, 2008.
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How do I apply to become an Innovation Ambassador?
The first step is to discuss your interest in performing an Innovation Ambassador developmental assignment with your line organization supervisor. With their approval, contact your Center Innovative Partnerships Program representative. Click here to find your Center Innovation Ambassadors contact. Be prepared to provide the following information:

Current position and GS Level

Experience with the Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership (APPEL)

Desired organization or industry for developmental assignment

Whether you have made contact with that organization

Justification for an Innovation Ambassador developmental assignment with that organization

Supplemental Attachment (NASA Form, NEF 1780A): Innovation Ambassador Developmental Assignment including a description of the intended assignment and its location.

A Center Individual Development Plan (IDP).

Applications submitted by the Center IPP Offices to the Headquarters IPP Office must also contain a cost estimate of per diem and travel expenses for each assignment based location of the host organization.
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When are applications due?
Individual applications are due at your Center IPP Office no later than July 14, 2008. Centers will submit selected nominees to the Headquarters IPP Office by August 1.
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Name, email address and telephone number for a person from your organization who can be contacted by NASA employees to discuss potential Innovation Transfusion involvement.

Brief description of your organization's work and any particularly innovative or novel aspects of your activities in 200 words or less. You can provide your website link, if helpful.

Provide a brief description of a potential temporary assignment in 100 words or less.

This information will be passed along to the Center IPP offices and made available to NASA employees. If there is a suitable fit between the temporary assignment and an applicant to the Innovation Ambassador program, you will be contacted by a Center IPP office.
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What are the guidelines for the temporary assignment that the Innovation Ambassador will perform?
The specific position and assignment will be left to the discretion of the external organization management and the Innovation Ambassador participant. However, the temporary assignment should allow the Innovation Ambassador to participate in the host organization's everyday business activities and allow for interaction with the organization's technical innovation capabilities. The duration of the assignment should range from 3 to 12 months.
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